Romania does deal on pig slaughter

Romania will continue to slaughter animals in the traditional way for Christmas and Easter after coming to an agreement with the EU, the country's agriculture minister Dacian Ciolos announced.

Pigs and lambs have their throats slit in Romania for Christmas and Easter celebrations. EU law states that animals must be killed in a way which avoids unnecessary suffering. Romania will be required to stun the animals first in the coming years.

Ciolos said he had persuaded EU officials by mentioning other exemptions for animal slaughtering in Europe such as Spaniards' killing of bulls in an arena which he also considers an "infringement of animal welfare rules".

The European Union has banned pork exports from Romania and Bulgaria because swine fever has been a recurrent problem. Both countries will be allowed to sell pork to rest of the EU without restrictions as soon as they eradicate the disease.

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Editor PigProgress